14 June 2000
THE ART OF ENCOURAGING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Arts and community businesses will shortly have the opportunity to locate in prime sites in downtown Belfast and, thanks to a bold new step being taken by Laganside Corporation as part of its Cathedral Quarter Regeneration Strategy, it needn’t cost them a fortune!
A trio of prominent but derelict buildings at Royal Avenue, Donegall Street and at Cotton Court (Waring Street/Hill Street) has been purchased by Laganside and will be totally refurbished to provide high quality accommodation sympathetically in tune with the neighbourhood. Arts and community businesses and organisations will be encouraged to move into what will be ‘managed workspace’; initially paying a fraction of what might otherwise be prohibitively high city centre rents. Costs will only increase in line with the organisations’ capacity to pay.
Announcing details of the Cathedral Quarter Managed Workspace Initiative, Nigel Dodds, MLA, Minister for Social Development said: "This exciting new project delivers a range of important benefits not only to the Cathedral Quarter area but to the city as a whole. A number of extremely high profile but sadly derelict buildings in prominent locations in the city will once again become assets for the city, not only in terms of their restored appearance but also in their use.
"This practical, well planned support will encourage developing creative and community oriented people to bring - or in many cases to keep - their talents into Cathedral Quarter. They will doubtless benefit from being located alongside others in the same field - and the city will certainly benefit from the concentration of arts and community ventures. This really is a win-win approach for all concerned."
Laganside Chief Executive Mike Smith welcomed the co-operation that has made the Managed Workspace initiative possible and paid tribute to the support received from Belfast City Council and the Arts Council Northern Ireland.
He said: "Already there are a substantial number of small arts and voluntary sector organisations working in this area of Cathedral Quarter, drawn by the proximity of like-minded business neighbours and the currently low rents. Our programme of community consultation demonstrated a perfectly legitimate concern that improvements to the area could lead to such high rents that small groups would be forced to move away. We have come up with a creative solution to that concern – and one that will keep creativity working in Cathedral Quarter!"
The scheme, pioneered by Laganside with the active co-operation of Belfast City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, is designed to entice the energy and creativity of small arts and community organisations into the heart of Cathedral Quarter. Not only will such groups have the benefits of locating within what is rapidly becoming recognised as Belfast’s artistic and creative centre, but they will also have some financial shelter and positive encouragement.
Refurbishment is already starting to provide managed workspace at the three locations and the first tenants should move in by Spring 2001. Applications will be considered immediately by Laganside.
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
Details of the three buildings are as follows:
Cotton Court is a listed derelict warehouse at Waring Street/Hill Street. The four storey building comprises 13,500 sq ft (1,250 sq m) and its ground floor space would be suitable for retail gallery, exhibition or performance space while upper floors are suited to small studio or workshop space.
23/25 Donegall Street is a derelict Victorian warehouse known locally as the Sha Din Building. It has four storeys, the ground floor of which would be particularly suitable for an appropriate retail outlet. The building comprises 19,000 sq ft (1,832 sq m) of space.
109/113 Royal Avenue is an impressive listed Victorian building with prominent frontage to Royal Avenue. Formerly a bank, the four-storey building comprises 11,000 sq ft (1,200-sq m). Its ground floor would be suitable as a community arts workshop, for training facilities or offices while the upper floors are suitable for administrative uses.